Magnificence Disfigured
by ImaginaryVeil
Summary: Life is never fair. To some, it may be brutal-but to others a little more fair. For a certain Shaolin, however, being brushed off is as fair as it gets.


Why is the rain blue and grey? What satisfaction do the Heavens receive by sending down such dull coloured liquid? Think about it; if each raindrop was a totally different colour, our streams would be a mixture of tints and shades…blues…greens…reds…purples…all blended together to create a magnificent mixture of emotion and life…

.+OoO+.

They hurried over to the portico of the Temple. Never had there been such a storm, and never had there been such a horrible time for one. The couple gently laid their child down, careful not to wake him up. The mother looked at her husband and he nodded. Slowly, she unfolded a paper from her pocket and placed it on the top of the baby's blanket before knocking on the Temple's door and hurrying away with her partner.

They watched from a distance as a Monk came out and gazed down at the infant. From where they were, they could see the Monk shaking his head in disapproval as he lifted the child to his chest. Whether he had read the note or not, they didn't know, but they watched sadly as their only child was taken inside, away from them, but for the better. At least he would be safe. He would never have to know of the curse that drains their life.  
Slowly, **he would**

_**Grow, grow!**_The four year old boy sat by the plant and sighed impatiently before futilely begging it to grow again. His master chuckled. The boy spun around to meet his mentors gaze, whom he hadn't noticed standing at his door. The Monk walked towards him.

"You must be patient, little one. A plant cannot grow before it's time." The boy cocked his head.

"Why not?" he said confused. The Monk laughed again and shook his head.

He sighed. "If I told you to walk around the Shaolin in two minutes, would you be able to?"

The boy looked at him blankly, and then frowned. "That's not fair! I asked you a question first!" The child crossed his arms and sat down on the stool. His teacher chuckled once more and reached to pat his head, though when he did, the boy jerked away angrily.

The Monks eyes widened with astonishment and he left the room.

Behind the door, another boy snickered.

"You're a moron!" he hooted.

The boy rose from the stool and stormed out of his room, **out to**

**The gardens.** They were so beautiful, each plant green, every rock in place, the sand neatly raked…

It was enchanting. He loved coming here, especially at night, and especially when he was mad. His training hadn't been going so well, and his rivalry with others had grown.

And something wasn't right. They Monks had been awfully hurried lately—though when he'd ask what was wrong, no-one would answer. They would just look right through him. Nevertheless, he had been seeing strange men, ones with blades that came out of their arms. Their ARMS!

They scared him. He was walking through the gardens, listening to the evening birds chirp their songs and catching the whiffs of herbs carried by the wind.

And then he saw him.

The man with the funny hat.

He had never seen him before. "Mister!" The man turned around. As he did, the boy saw that his eyes were…glowing…

The man tilted his head. "What are you doing here at this hour?" he said in a honey voice and approached him. The boy's eyes widened and he backed away.

When the man saw this, he stopped. "Do not fear; I am Raiden, the God of Thunder. I won't hurt you." Raiden plucked a peach off of the tree above him and reached his hand towards the boy. At this, he stopped backing away. Slowly, he came towards the Deity and took the peach from his hand. He bit into it.

It was sweet. He closed his eyes and swallowed the fruit, juice coming down from the corners of his lips.

"What is your name?" he opened his eyes and saw the man crouching before him.

"I don't have a name." Raiden looked shocked.

"How old are you?"

"I'm nine." He said while holding up nine fingers.

Raiden cocked his head. "What do your parents call you?"

The boy looked down at his feet. "I don't have parents." He said bluntly, but with sadness soaked in the edges of his voice.

Raiden looked at the boy with pity. "Would you like a name?" The child looked up with glittering eyes, but they dullened almost as fast

He looked back down. "The Monks say that you have to wear your name with pride. The meaning tells people about who you are." He sighed. "Lui Kang says I don't deserve a name."

Raiden hugged the child warmly. "You are strong. There is a warrior within you. A great one." Raiden stopped to scan his mind for noble names.

He smiled. "From here on, your **name will be**

**Kung Lao,** come on! You fight like a cat!"

"That's fine, Kintaro isn't a bad fighter!" Kung Lao faced his nemeses. His rivalry with Lui Kang had grown greatly through-out the years. It wasn't just about a game of tag anymore—Martial Arts was a part of their lives now, and he was no-longer the scrawny nine-year-old he used to be—he was now fifteen.

The Monks had been shocked when they learned that Raiden had named him after the Great Kung Lao, and they had taken it as a sign. Immediately, he was welcomed into the world of Martial Arts and discipline.

He raised his sword and charged at Lui Kang. As he brought the blade down, his opponent blocked and threw him back. He stumbled but remained on his feet. This time, he was charged at.

Clashes echoed through the training grounds. Some younger students had gathered at the doorway to watch the two seniors battle.

Kung had managed to knock the sword out of Lui's hands, and was swinging at him with grace.

"Come on, Lui, this is barely a fight!"

Lui Kang smiled at him unexpectedly and teleported to the other side of him.

"What the…" his sentence was cut short as he was grabbed by the shoulder and flung towards the floor—though he braced himself and flipped forwards. He turned back to see Lui Kang running at him—a katana in hand. He looked around but could not spot his weapon. He blocked the swing with his bare arms and kicked Lui Kang's side. He hurled through the air, but instead of hitting the ground, he fell _through_ it.

Kung Lao's eyes widened and he looked around.

"Behind you!" one of the younger students shouted, and he turned to get a punch deliver to his face immediately, knocking him off balance.

Once he was down, Lui Kang's hand lit with a fiery glow. He was about to throw the fire-ball at him when their mentor interrupted.

"That is enough, Lui Kang. You have won; there is no need to harm him any further." Lui's gazed went from the Monk to his opponent. He smirked at him.

"Well, Kung Lao, if you want to be better than me, **you need to be**

_**Stronger!**__ Better!_ he thought as his anger was unleashed on an oak tree. The sun had just set as he was hitting it with no mercy. He was going through one of his routines; _punch, kick, block, upper-cut, upper-cut, kick, punch_ when he saw a glow in the corner of his eye. He stopped and turned towards it.

In the distance, he could see a faint golden illumination. Captivated, he started towards it.

It was coming from the forests just below the mountain. Night was nearing, making the glow stronger, and he kept running. After a while he stopped, being confused. He had been through these forests before, but he had never seen this part. There was a small waterfall, about as high as his waist that gracefully became a stream with pure water. In it were smooth pebbled of many colours…red…blue…green…purple…

He knelt down and waved his hand through the water, causing it to glimmer more than it already was. His eyes followed the stream. As far as he could see, all the stones had different colours—there would be different shades of a colour, but none were identical. It was magnificent. He reached into the river and picked out an orange one. It was glowing brightly, with a symbol of a dragon in the centre of it. However unlike the water, it was warm in his hands.

He frowned. _That's strange. The water is ice-cold. How can…? _He heard the bells of the Temple. Looking back, he dropping the rock.

He ran towards the Temple faster than he had ever run. Once he reached the entrance, he quietly went inside and watched the ceremony from the door.

The monks were sitting in a circle, around the dragon symbol he had seen on the rock. In the centre of the circle were a Monk, Raiden (whom he hadn't seen after he had been named) and...

"Lui Kang." Raiden started. "You have been selected to represent EarthRealm in Mortal Kombat." _Mortal what?_ "Do you agree to participate in this tournament with honour and the intention of saving our Realm?"

There was a pause "Will I be alone, Lord Raiden?" he asked.

"Indeed."

He looked at Kung Lao, whose eyes were wide with hurt. "But why me?"

"Because the Shaolin monks **have chosen**

**Lui Kang** to represent your order in this Tournament." Raiden said.

"I am Lui Kang's equal!" he answered with ferocity in his voice.

"That remains to be seen." Was the God's reply.

"Watch and see!" he said and stepped into the arena, proclaiming: "I accept the challenge!" His costume fell and he was standing in his fighting clothes, shocking everyone participating.

"Kung Lao?" Lui Kang said, shock and anger fighting for his attention.

"Never mind the Lin Kuei," He said to Scorpion. "You will face a Shaolin!" The latter said something back, but he didn't pay attention. The only thing pulsing through him was the urge to prove everyone wrong. He was just as strong as Lui Kang. No matter what the Monks or Raiden thought.

Or his parents. Was it a coincidence that Lui was adopted the same day he was orphaned?

The fight went on for what seemed like forever. Though in the end, when he had been knocked down, he had **never felt so**

**Proud.** He had defeated both Shang Tsung AND Quan Chi. He had finally done it; he had won his honour. The crowd began to boo. He didn't care. They were obviously bias. He took his signature hat off and bowed, but from the side of his eye, he could see Kitana and Lui Kang kiss.

Pretending not to notice, he went on with his cries glory. When he turned to Raiden, he could see that the God was distracted—looking past him at Lui Kang. He looked down in disappointment, but hid it with a bow. When his head was low, he could see Shao Khan approaching.

_This is it_. "You see Raiden, there was nothing to fe-"

**BLACKNESS**

-oIUIo-

The last thing he felt were two rough hands at either side of his head, and the painless death of a snapped neck.

.+OoO+.

It rained in EarthRealm five days in a row after it had happened. Raiden stood at the edge of a cliff, looking at how the texture of the rain blended with the landscape.

Years ago, he had been asked why the rain wasn't coloured, why it was just grey and blue. At the time, he couldn't answer that question. But now, from all that he had been through, he realised that there _was_ colour in the rain, splendid mixtures and patterns and even swirls, but there is too much sorrow crowded into one mortal mind to notice such a joyful display.

He stood at that cliff, looking at the shades in the rain. Though now, all he could see was red. A dark red that blemished the harmony.

He realised with horror that the rain was no longer rain.

It was blood.


End file.
